Van ambergb lechner



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MINING MACHINE;

Patented Mam. 18, V18811.

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VAN AMBERGH LECHNER.

vMINING MACHINE.

Patented Mar.l 18, 41884.

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UNTTnn STATES FATnNT @Trice VAN AMBURGH LEGHNER, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO,ASSIGNOB .TO HIMSELF AND" FRANCIS M. LECHNER.

MINING-MACi-HNE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters .Patent No. 295,183, dated March18, 1884-..

Application liled March-31, 1853. (No model.)

reference being had 'to the accompanying drawings, forming a part oi'this speciiication, in ivhiclr- Figure lis a plan view oi' my improvedmining-machine. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section von the line ca of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section on the line b Iof Fig. 1. ai is a side viewof the outer bearings oi' the screw anddriving-shaft. Fig. 5 is a cross-section on the line c c of Fig. 1.Figs.

6 and 7 are views of the chain and cutters.

Fig. S is a perspective view of the traveling 2O carriage. Fig. J is anend vien1 of one ofthe sliding chainearriers, partly in section. Fig.1() is a central cross-section of Fig. 9.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in each. Y

The characteristic features of my invention consist oi' endless chainscarryingcutters, suoli chains operating in pairs and Working the cuttersi'roin a central point or point of impact outward, so that the pressureof the opposite 3o cutters which are operating in the rock shall beagainst each other, and thereby relieve the machine of the pressure andpermit it to retain its position, and also so that the cuttings shall bcthrown outivard and clear oi' the machine. The chains are mounted onsuitable moving frames, whereby they are advanced as the cutterspenetrate thc coal or other material, and they are driven by suitableWheels from the same shaft by which the feeding mechanisnris driven. I

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willnow describe it by reference to the accompanying drawings.

The machine has a stationary frame or bedplate, 1, upon the sidesofxvhich are two standi ards or brackets, 2, one on each side, for supporting the steam or air cylinders 3 and 4, by

which the machine is driven Bolted to the bed-plate l, near one end, isa' ings 6, for the driving-shaft and screw, are formed. At the other endis a frame or casting, 7, also bolted to the bed-plate, in which areformed the outerbearings oftheshaft and screw.

Mounted in bearings 8, at one end. of the machine, is a powershaft, 9,which is driven by the'stealn or air cylinders b and il, by cranks 10atthe opposite ends, two engines quartering with each other being used,for the reason that-a. iiy-whcel to carryasingleengine overthe 6odead-point cannot be used, because the cutters are liable to strike anobstacle or piece ot' hard rock and stop, and cause the machine to bebroken bythe force or momentum oi' the Wheel. The power-shaft isprovided with a beveled pinion, 11, \vhich gears into a beveled wheel,64, mounted on the end oia shaft, 12, extending lengthwise of themachine, said shalt being journaled in the vertical eastin gs or frames5 7 in bea-ring 6. The shaft 12 is driven by the l power-shaft 9, and inturn dri vesthe chains and the feeding devices. lt is key-seatedthroughout the greater part of its length, and is provided with abeveled pinion, 15, ior purposes to be explained. Placed alongside ofthe shaft 1.2 in bea-rings 6 in the saine i'raines 5 and 7, but in alower horizontal plane, is a screwshatt, 17, nionnted loosely on theendv of which, directly Linder the Worin 13 on the power-shaft 9, ,is aWornrwheel, 1S. Ou the same shaft, inside ofl the Worm-Wheel, is asliding clutch, 19,-Which is connected to the shaft by a feather-key,vand inside of the clutch is a gear-Wheel, 20, which is mounted looselyon the shaft, but .is in gear with a gear-Wheel, 2i, mounted on 85 theshaft 12. The sides of the Worin-wheel 18 and gear-Wheel l20, adjacentto the clutch 19, are provided with engaging-teeth, so that the clutchcan be thrown into gear either with the gear-Wh eel or with theWorin-wheel. When it engages the Worm-wheel, the shaft 17 is drivenfromtheshafti, by means of the worin 18, mounted thereon and oftheworm-wheel 1S, and this causes it to turn in the proper direction tofeed the cutters forward; and when the clutch engages the gear-wheel theshaft 17 is driven from the sha-it 12, by means of gear-Wheels 21 and20, in the reverse direction, which reverse movement effects thewithdrawal of the cutters. The shaft 17 is placed at a lower level e4295. ssa

than the shaft 12, to permit of the wormwheel 18 being placed under theworm 13 on the shaft 9, which is not necessary with the shaft l2, as itis driven by the bevel-pinion 11, and consequently can be on the sainelevel.

It is now in order to describe the cutters and the mechanism foroperating them.

The stationary frame 1 has two guide plates or ways, 23, extendinglongitudinally along its inner edges. Resting on these ways are two Hatsliding bars or carrying-arms, 24, which at their-inner ends are boltedto a sliding frame, 25. ing frame is provided with tlanges 27,which havethe double function ot' atl'ording means for the attachment ofthecarrying-arms 24 and ot' extending under the ways 23 to hold the slidingframe down. Stepped in the bed-plate 26 are two vertical'shafts 28 and29, the upper ends ot' which are journaled in the top plate, '30, of thesliding frame. Oneach shaft 28 and 29 are sprocket-wheels 31 andgearwheels 32, the latter meshing into each other. On the upper end ofthe shaft 28 is a beveledgear wheel, 33, which meshes with the beveledpinion 15, mounted on the shaft 12.

Extending between the standards 34 on the frame is a trough, 35,semicircular in crosssection. This trough stands between the verticalshafts 28 and 29, being 0n a lower level than the beveled-gear wheel33,and on ahigher level than vthe gear-wheel 32 on the shorter shaft 29.The standards 34 ot' the frame 25 are bored at the ends ot' the troughfor the passage ot' the screw-shaft 17, which extends also through thetrough.

On the inner faces ofthe standards 34, above the trough 35, are guides22, and placed in these guides is a semicircnlar nut, 36, which titsdown on the screw-shalt 17, being held in place by alever, 37,which ispivoted to abar, 16, extending between the standards 34. The nut has apin, 3S, which projects into a slot A 39, inthe lever. When t-heleverisdepressed the nut is thrown into gear with the screw, and when the leveris raised the nut is raised onE the screw.

On the outer end of each of the sliding bars or carrying-arms 24 are twosprocket-wheels, which are mounted in the following manner: A cross-baror plate, 40, is secured to the under side of each sliding arm. On topof the sliding arm a block, 41, is placed, and on top ot" the block 41is asecond plate, .42, similar to the plate 4Q. The plates 4() and '42and block 41 are all rmly secured to the carrying-arm 24 by riveting, orin any-desirable way, so as to make a compact and strong structure.Between the outer ends of the plates 40 and 42 are shafts or journals43, upon which the sprocket-wheels 44 and 45 are loosely mounted. Theinner edge of the sprocketwheels 44 are nearly in line with the inneredge of the'sprocket-wheels 31.

On the outer edgesot' the carrying-arms 24,

near to the wheels 3l, are sprocket-wheels 46,`

The base-plate 26 of the slid# vent the sagging of the chains as theypass over the edges ofthe i'rame. The outer sprocket-wheels 45 standbeyond the out-er edges ot' the frame 1.

The chains 47 are of peculiar construction. They are composed of links48, pivoted together by rivets 49. vEach link is provided with a cutter,50, which is keyed in, as at 51, or secured in' any other suitablemanner. When made up into a chain, 47, the ends of the adjacent linksoverlap each other, so that thel rivets 49 pass through the adjacentends, which are placed side by side. This construction leaves an openspace, 52, between the ends of' alternate links. Outside of this openspace and overlapping the adjacent ends of the alternate links is asteel plate, 53, which is secured in place by the same rivet, 49, thatpasses through the ends ot' adjacent links, so that when the completechain is made, each rivet passes iirst through a plate, 53, whichextends in one direction, a link 48 extending in the opposite direction,a second link 48 extending in the direction ofthe iirst plate, and asecond plate 53 extending in the direction ofthe first link 48. ters 50are arranged zigzag. The same is also true ofthe spaces 52, so thatthere is a cutter and a space opposite to each other in every compoundlink or section shown. The sprocket-whecls are constructed withreference to this peculiarity of thech'ain, being provided with spurs orteeth 54, arranged in a zigzag manner upon its periphery. These teethtake into the open spaces 52 and draw the chain around. The directionofthe movement ofthe chains is indicated by the arrows. They pass fromthe stn'ocket-wheels 3l down the middle ot' the'machine in linesparallel with the ways 23. around the wheels 44, thence at right anglesaround the wheels 45, and thence by the wheels 46 to the sprocket-wheels31 again. The points otthe cutters 50 extend forward, and when themachine is placed to cut against a breast o't' coal or other material,they strike the coal by a direct blow or impact, and then pass outwardfrom the point ot' impact in opposite directions, so that the pressureof the cutters on one chain is against that of the cutdisplacement|ot'the machine is entirely obviated. The effect of this motion is alsoto cause the cuttings to be carried outward andA discharged outside ofthc machine, so .that the machine is constantly clearing itself, and isnot liable to become clogged or impeded in any way by the cuttings.

The peripheries ot' the sprocket-wheels 44 In such a chain the cnt- IOOIIO

ters on the other chain, and all danger ot' the ripheries of the wheels44 and 45. This plate will keep the cutters upto their work by holdingthe chain in a straight line, and thereby preventing its yielding to thepressure. h

In order to keep the chains at a propertension, I have provided thefollowingtension device: At the inner ends of the sliding bars 24 I makea perforated lug, 56, and on the base-plate 26 of the sliding frame 25 Imake similar lugs, 57, which extend out into line with the lugs 56,andare tapped and threaded. In the lugs 56 I place screws 5S, thethreaded portions of which extend forward through the lugs 57, andengage the threads therein. In the sliding bars 24 I make slots 59, twoor more, as may be necessary, of a length slightly in excess of thelength ot' one of the links ot' the chain. Extending up from thebase-plate 2li4 of the sliding frame 25 are threaded bolts 60, providedwith nuts 61. The operation of' this device is as follows: If any slackshould occur in the chains it can be taken up by loosening the nuts 61and then turning the screws 58, so as to project the sliding bars 24farther outward. l/Vhen the movement has been sufficient to take up theslack and tighten the chains, the nuts 6l are screwed down, so as tofasten securely the sliding frame 25 and the bars 24 together.

I will now describe a particular construction I have adopted forjournaling the sprocket.- wheels at the outer ends ofthe sliding bars24. This construction is shown in Figs. 9 and 10. Placed loosely insideofthe sprocket-wheels is a thimble, G2, which is internally threaded.This thimble being placed inside ofthe sprocket-wheel, the latter isslipped sirlewise into place between the plates 40 and 42, and then twoscrews, 43, are inserted through the plates from `opposite sides, one ofthe screws being put through the plate 40 and the other through .theplate 42. These screws are screwed tightly into the tbimble 62, andfasten it rigidly in place between the two plates. The sprocketwheelbeing loose on the thimble turns freely on it, while the thimble servesto support the outer ends of the plates and keep them from binding uponthe edges ot' the wheels. The advantages of this construction are that Isecure the easy removal and replacement of the sprocket-wheels, which,being subject to great strain,` are more or less liable to wear andinjury. Moreover, the spindles of the wheels being removable `withoutthe necessity of disturbingthe attachment of the plates 40 and 42 to thesliding bar 24, I am enabled to rivet them permanently to the bar, andthus make a much stronger and more desirable construction. The outerheads of the screws 43, coming Hush with the face of the plates 4() and42, give a smooth surface, and thus enable the sliding bars to 'move inand out ot' the cut without impediment, and canse it to work with greatnicety. The chains are of the same width' as that of the sprocket-wheels44 and 45. with their plates 40 and 42.

The operation of the machine is as follows:

'keyed to the shaft 12 and turns with it.

' 12 are driven by the shaft 9. The power to operate the wheels whichturn the chains is vtaken from the shaft 12 by means of thebeveledvpinion 15. At the rear side of the pinion 15 is one of thestandards 63 of the sliding frame 25. As before stated, the pinion 15 isIt meshes into the beveled gear-wheel 33 on the upper end of the shaft28, and causes the shaft 2S to turn, and thereby operates the verticalshaft 29 by means of the gear-wheels 32. The sprocket-wheels 31, beingmounted on the two vertical shafts 28a-nd 29, are turned thereby andmove the chains in the direction of theA arrows. ing frame with its bars24 toward the breast of coal or other material being cnt as the cuttingprogresses. The rate ofthis advance depends upon the nature of thematerial upon which the machine is beingused. material it is necessarilyslow, while with softer material it may be increased correspondingly.This advance is made by means ofthe screw 17 and nut 36, theconstruction of which has been described. The screw 17 is operated bymeans ofa worm, 13, mounted on the shalt 9, meshing into a worm-wheel,18, mounted loosely on the outer end of the screw 17. The clutch 19,being thrown into gear with the worm-wheel 1S, causes the screw 17 to beturned, and the thread ofthe screw 17, acting upon thethread ofthe nut36, moves the sliding frame 25, with its bars 24, outward. When thesliding frame has traveled the desired distance outward, and it isnecessary to cause it to be retract-ed, the clutch 19 is thrown out ofconnection with the worin-wheel 1S and into connection with thegear-wheel 20. This causes the motion ot' the screw-shaft 17 to bereversed, and its thread acting in the oppositedirection upon the nut36, causes the sliding frame 25 to be moved inward and to re tract thecutters from cont-actI with the rock. When the sliding frame has beendrawn entirely back, the entire machine is moved sidewise and caused tooperate in the same manner againstanother portion of the surface of therockor coal.

The outer portion of the cutting-edge of cutter 50 projects beyond theside of the chain., so that the cut in the rock shall be wider than thechain, in order to give clearance to the latter, because there is alwaysa tendency in coa-l and similar formations o t' the sides to closeinward and reduce the width of the cut. Especially is this the case ift-he vein of coal rests upon a bed of tire-clay, because the latter willswell assoon as the cut relie-ves it of a port-ion of the superincumbentweight, and partially close the cut. My construction ofthe cutters makesthe cut sufficiently wide to allow for this closing, and so preventsdanger of the chains becoming jammed or caught therein.

The frame 25 and bars 24 constitute a sliding carriage which sustainsand carries the It is necessary to advance the slid- With hard ICO IIO

chains and their actuating` mechanism. rIhe cutters in one chain arealways made to come opposite to those on the other chain, as illustratedin Fig. l. In case the work is very severe and the great strain on thecutters causes the ends ofthe bars 24 to give inward, I can make themsupport each other against this strain by providing every two or morelinks, as may be necessary, with projecting blocks on their outer faces,such links having no cutters. rIhen as the chains move these blocks cometogether `and iill the space between the chains, and prevent the barsfrom being lforced any nearer together or from springing inward.

The purpose of the trough 35 is to give an 'under bearing to thescrewshatt 17, so as to enable me to use a semicircular or removablenut, 86. It sometimes happens that it is desirable to remove the nut outof gear with the screws to enable the traveling-carriage to be movedbackward-without operating the machine. The most frequent cause of thisis that the rock sometimes falls on the machine in such quantity that itis dangerous to operate the machine until the rock is taken off. In suchease the nut 36 may be raised by the lever 87, and the travelingcarriage pried back by a crow-bar or other means until it is clear ofthe debris. Vhen the nut 36 is raised oit the: screw, the trough 35supports and sustains the screw whilevits smooth inner surface presentsno obstacle tothe backward motion 'of the carriage over the screw. NVhenthe nut is in working position the trough supplies the requisiteunder-bearing for the screw.

In constructing the machine its various parts should be made powerfulenough to enable it to stall the engines, so that, in case the cuttersmeet an obstacle they cannot overcome, the engines will not be powerfulenough to break the machine.

A great advantage of my improvement consists in the fact thatthe cuttersare working successively on the same line of cut, and this enables me tooperate the machine with much less power land unich more rapidly than inthat class of machines having a rotary cutter biting against the rockwhere the entire length ofthe cutter is operating at once. Anotheradvantage is t-hat a clean'cut is made thereby, and no further work onthe breast is necessary at that point. The cutters of the two chainsstrike the breast side by side at'a common point or center, and thenturning cut outward in opposite directions a certain determineddistance. No core in the middle nor uncut portion at any point in therange of the cutters is left to be subsequently broken down, as is thecase when drilling and similar machines arensed.

' `The constructicndcscribed makes a compact, portable, efficientmachine. I obtain the advantage of'two cuts by using thev two chains;and, as before stated, the making of these cuts in opposite directionsfrom a central point takes the strain of the cutters oft' the machine. y

In practice the cutters 50 will not be mounted on every link. In somecases there will be one on every fourth link, and in others a lessnumber.

I am aware that two rotary cutters revolving in opposite directions haveheretofore been combined with a carriage provided with mechanism tocause the carriage to advance against the breast of coal, and do notherein claim such devices. p

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In amachine for mining coal and likel purposes, the combination oftwo chains provided with cutters and arranged to move in oppositedirections in a plane or planes at right angles to the line of advanceot' the machine. substantially as and for thev purposes specified.

2. rIhe combination, in a machine for min ing coal andsimilarsubstances, of two revolving chains provided withl cuttersmount-ed on suitable wheels to communicate motion to them, and movingside by side to the point of cut and then outward in oppositedirections, substantially as and f'orthe purposes described.

3. In a machine for mining` coal and similar substances, two chainsprovided with cutters and mounted on 'suitable wheels for driving themside by side to the point of cut and then outward in oppositedirections, in combination with a sliding carriage carrying said chains,and the mechanism for actuating the same, substantially as and for thepurposes described.

4. In a machine for mining coal and similar substances, two revolvingchains provided with cutters, and mechanism for moving the chains inopposite directions and at right angles to the line of advance of themachine, in combination with a sliding carriage for sustaining thechains and operating mechanism, a lnut mounted on said frame, and ascrew-shaft coacting with said nut to move said frame, substantially asand forthe purposes described.

5. In a machine for mining coal or similar substancestwo revolving chaiusprovided with cutters, and mechanism for causing the chains to travelin reverse directions, in straight lines, and in planes at right anglesto thc line ot' advance of the machine, in combination with a stationarypower-shaft, and a feather-keyed sliding pinion ou said shaft, connectedwith and actuating the mechanism which operates the chains,substantially as and for the purposes described.

G. In a machine for mining coal and likepurposes, the combination ot'two cutters, and mechanism, substantially as speci fied, for caus` ingthe cutters to move in right lines in opposite directions at rightangles to the path of the machine while cutting, substantially as andfor the purposes set forth.

7. rlhe combination, in a machine for mining coal and similarsubstances, of a traveling IOO IIO

carriage carrying two cutter-chains', and mechanisi for 'causingsaidchains to move in a right line in opposite directions While cutting, astationary shaft; having a sliding key-seated pinionfor actuating thechain-revolving mechanism, a not on said carriage, a screw-shaft; eoacting Witflrsaid nut to move the carriage, in order to feed che cuttersto their work, and a powershafb connected with and driving the other twoshafts, substantially as and for the purposes described.

S. The nwo sliding hars, each. provided with two loose sprocketwheels orchain-sh eaves secured at their outer ends in a cross-frame, andarranged parallel withv each other, in combination with the twocuttenchains and mechanism to move lthe latter in opposite directionsafter reaching the end of the hars," suhsizantiaily as and for thepurposes described.

9. The cntienchain for mining-machines, composed of a series ofcutter-links arranged with the lapping ends, and support-plates arrangedon the sides of the chain parallel with and opposite to eachcntter-linmrwhereby the cutters are placed zigzag in the chain, and thesprockefg-holes are in' iine with the cutters, substantially as and forthe purposes set forth.

10. The combination, in a machine for mining coal and similarsubstances, of a vpair of cutter-chains moving side by side to the pointplaced on the adjacent sides of opposite links, 4o

substantiallyas and for the purposes described. In testimony whereof' Ihave hereunto set my hand this 23d day of March, A. D. 1883.

VAN AMBURGH LECHNER.

Witnesses:

E. E. CORWIN, J. M. LOWE.

